Odds & Ends

Fair & balanced?

Last-ditch effort for health care reform

Is health care reform on life support? Obama”’’s coming out with a new proposal today that includes some of the Republican ideas. Republicans say that”’’s not enough, that they have to start over. Meanwhile, the Dems are asking why Obama is even trying to hold out an olive branch, and that he should be trying to win over his own party (which right now looks like it doesn””t have the votes to pass it… the House would have to pass the Senate version and the votes aren””t there for that.) Is it time to pull the plug altogether?

(by the way, if you want to comment and are wary of having to put your name and email into the boxes below, you don””t have to use your real name and your email won””t show up for others to see.)

Making a point at expense of unemployed?

As of Monday the unemployed are no longer able to apply for extensions of federal unemployment benefits or COBRA. That”’’s because Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky, is blocking an extension of those benefits, saying the government cannot pay for the $10 billion package and he does not want to see the deficit increase. The package needs a unanimous vote to pass.

While I too am frustrated with seeing our deficit increase daily, I also am frustrated that Bunning is making a political point on the backs on the unemployed. Like Harry Reid said: “Where was my friend from Kentucky when we had two wars that were unpaid for during the Bush administration?”

(by the way, if you want to comment and are wary of having to put your name and email into the boxes below, you don”t have to use your real name and your email won”t show up for others to see.)

Puppy cams!

Far from politics, here’’s something I would think everyone can get on board with: http://www.ustream.tv/SFShiba

Crib notes and Sarah Palin

A lot of people are up in arms (or hands as the case may be) about the crib notes Sarah Palin had on her hand at the Tea Party gathering last weekend. Do you think too much is being made of it?

Did Rush get out of service for boil on butt?

There’’s a fun little blog war going on at Bluffton Today that started out on Sen.-elect Scott Brown saying he”d pose nude again. The blog devolved into whether or not Rush dodged the Vietnam draft due to a cyst on his butt. Here’’s the link: http://www.blufftontoday.com/node/32178. Thoughts?

One of my favorite web sites

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/11/ditch-productivity-for-day-12-great.html

Here's one of my favorite web sites. It “provides a handful of tips that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.” This week: Ditch Productivity For A Day: 12 Great Sites To Kill Time & Have Fun.

What are some of your faves?

Is social justice possible?

Is it possible to have social justice and a growing economy?

Paul Krugman of the New York Times writes in his Jan. 10 column (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/opinion/11krugman.html) that “Europe has its economic troubles; who doesn’t? But the story you hear all the time — of a stagnant economy in which high taxes and generous social benefits have undermined incentives, stalling growth and innovation — bears little resemblance to the surprisingly positive facts. The real lesson from Europe is actually the opposite of what conservatives claim: Europe is an economic success, and that success shows that social democracy works.” (more…)